by Amanda Woerner
So, you ask, what’s cash got to do with love? Everything. But experts say it’s not how much either of you has — it’s how you deal with it that determines if you’ll be happily merged.
He wants to combine dough; you want some financial independence.
Hey, if it’s your money, you should have a say! A fair compromise: Open a shared bank account into which you each deposit a percentage of your salary (enough to cover expenses and contribute to savings), Torabi says. Whatever’s left from your paycheck goes into your personal account. Invest it, save it, blow it — your call.
You’ve got killer credit. His is so-so, or worse.
Not to sound harsh, but your good credit takes priority here. Sharing a credit card account or cosigning for a car payment or other loan means you’ll be on the hook for any debt he accrues. If he skips a payment and you can’t cover it, that will affect your score. For now, help him focus on building his credit (timely payments!); then you can share plastic.
He’s spending cash faster than you can pocket a C-note.
Joint funds should be for joint purposes — trips, dinners out — not his gadget obsession. If he has to have a new iPhone, set a general rule that he can do it with cash from his own account — after he’s contributed dough to your shared account to cover bills. That way, you aren’t playing money monitor and he doesn’t feel badgered.